The Curated List

The Culture Fix

Eight savvy Rosewood Curators and insiders share lesser-known gems where they find inspiration, from museums to dance performances to a football stadium.

Beijing

It’s no surprise that Tan Yuan Yuan, one one of the world’s finest ballerinas, loves to take in a dance performance when she’s in Beijing. Some of her preferred venues: the Poly Theatre, the striking egg-shaped National Grand Theatre or the 1953 Tianqiao Theatre for jaw-dropping acrobatic performances. And for those interested in the behind-the-scenes aspects of the art: “Dance fans should visit the Beijing Dance Academy – it’s huge and has every type of dance you can think of.”Photos by @w_won2 and @king_yoosie.

New York

New York’s hidden treasure, according to Marie Claire creative director Nina Garcia? The Studiolo room, tucked away in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts wing on the first floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Relocated from the Ducal Palace in Gubbio, Italy, the room “transports you right to the 15th century, and the woodwork is simply superb,” she says, describing the exquisite intarsia woodwork that creates a trompe l’oeil version of a library, down to the latticed cabinet doors.Photo by James Bee.

San Miguel del Allende

Renowned tenor John Bills spends six months of the year in San Miguel de Allende, where he serves as artistic director of Ópera de San Miguel. He’s fond of browsing displays of fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, jewelry and pottery in San Miguel’s Mercado, at the edge of the Colonial Centro. “Here you can watch mujeres making fresh tortillas and trimming the thorns from cactus leaves for fresh nopales,” he says.Photos by @priscilagalicia.

Dallas

Art collectors and philanthropists Cindy and Howard Rachofsky love AT&T Stadium—and not just because they’re devoted Cowboys fans (like everyone in Dallas). They suggest exploring the artwork on display at the stadium, where Gene Jones, wife of team owner Jerry Jones, has commissioned works by giants like Olafur Eliasson, Anish Kapoor and Jenny Holzer to adorn the venue. Sign up for a guided art tour on Tuesdays or Thursdays to explore the collection.Photo courtesy of AT&T Stadium.

Riviera Maya

Actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba visits Mexico’s Riviera Maya regularly, going beyond the beaches to experience the region’s rich cultural heritage at the nearby Mayan ruins. Her favorite? Ek-Balam, which served as the capital city for hundreds of years before being abandoned around 1000 AD. It’s “a bit more off the beaten path than Chichen Itza or Uxmal, so it’s a fun site to visit.”Photo by @travelhaker.

London

Interior designer Dennis Irvine breathes new life into hotels from China to Antigua, including the redesigned Manor House at Jumby Bay. On his home turf in London, he likes to explore the eclectic collection at the Horniman Museum & Gardens. Victorian tea trader and philanthropist Frederick John Horniman used the profits from his business to amass artifacts from his extensive travels across the globe. Medieval suits of armor, traditional Arabian metalwork and taxidermy collections of animals from around the world fill the cases. “There is a lot of natural history in the gallery, and it is a lovely place to spend an afternoon walking around,” he says.Photo by Sophia Spring for Horniman Museum & Gardens.

Jeddah

Saudi fashion designer Nora Al-Shaikh’s avant-garde looks retail everywhere from LA to Dubai. In her hometown of Jeddah, she visits Darat Safeya Binzagr for inspiration. “It’s the first fashion museum that collects traditional costumes for all the Saudi regions,” she says. The museum is the brainchild of artist Safeya Binzagr, who also exhibits her work alongside a curated collection of historical regional attire and jewelry.Photo courtesy of Darat Safeya Binzagr.